1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to clothing and, more particularly, to novel systems and methods for creating specialized pockets therefor.
2. Background Art
Clothing is presumptively a part of modern culture. Having existed for millennia, articles of clothing originally began as robes, togas, and other articles ranging from undergarments to outer garments, and on to weatherproof outerwear.
As a practical matter, pockets were not a part of clothing even as recently as the 19th century. Eventually, clothing came to include pockets. Thereafter, pockets were introduced as permanent parts of regular clothing.
Open pockets are common. These include pockets having an opening accessible without opening any closure. Likewise, pockets having closures exist and have existed for many years. Closures may include buttons, hook-and-loop fasteners, snaps, zippers, and the like. Typically, such closure mechanisms are secured to operate between a covering flap or the article of clothing itself, and an outer surface of a pocket itself.
Pockets are a convenience. They can sometimes be an inconvenience. Pockets in articles of clothing are necessarily and most typically general purpose pockets to fit or receive a variety of items. Depending on convenience, structure of the article of clothing, and so forth, a closure may or may not be included.
Often, a closure is not included, such as in a breast pocket of a dress shirt in men's clothing, an inside breast pocket in a sports coat, suit, dinner jacket, or other open shirt pocket. An inherent presumption for these is that the pocket will not be turned upside down.
Work clothes, active wear, or clothing for athletic and other active endeavors may be more likely to include some type of covering (a flap or tab), having a closure mechanism to maintain it in a closed position and permit release for access to the pocket.
Outer clothing or the presentation clothing that is typically seen by others than the wearer typically is comparatively loose fitting. Looseness itself presents certain problems in securing articles in pockets. Underwear, sports inner layers, exercise and yoga outfits, dance wear, and other innerwear may be form fitting or may also be loose.
It would be an advance in the art to provide a new article of clothing, a new type of pocket, and a combination of both to provide more secure containment of articles within a pocket of innerwear on active users.
It would be an advance in the art to provide certain improvements in closure systems. It would also be an advance in the art to provide easy access and re-closure with a single hand and no alignment or force. It would be an advance to provide to articles in a secure pocket for devices such as music play devices, mobile phones, insulin pumps, and the like.
For example, type I diabetics, those acquiring the disease while juveniles, may rely on an insulin pump rather than periodic injections. An insulin pump has mass, has three dimensions of space that it occupies, and does not readily fit any current pocket system. Moreover, an infusion site will typically include a catheter for receiving a needle or probe from an insulin pump. Moreover, tubing extends between the infusion site and an insulin pump itself. Managing that pump, preventing kinks in it, concealing the tubing, managing it against being caught, cut, crimped, or the like is problematic. Meanwhile, reducing the length of the tube from a standard system is problematic, as it restricts movement.
Thus, it would be an advance in the art to provide a pocket that is convenient, lightweight, secured firmly against the body of a user at a location that is not exposed to bumping, damage, or the like, and provides concealment yet easy access. A simple, smooth, unobtrusive pocket would be a substantial advance in the art.
As another example, mobile telephones are ubiquitous. It would be an advance in the art to provide a system that is secure, yet easily accessible. In fact, it would be an advance in the art to provide a closure mechanism that does not require great attention, multiple hands, alignments, substantial force, tiny hands, or the like.